Alexander Isak scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season as Newcastle United moved into sixth place in the standings with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at Burnley on Saturday which left the host on the brink of relegation.
Newcastle, on 56 points from 35 games, kept alive its hopes of playing European football next season as Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes also got on the scoresheet, the day soured only slightly by Isak’s missed penalty.
Burnley scored a late consolation through Dara O’Shea but is five points from safety with two games left and could have its relegation confirmed when it travels to Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday.
Newcastle’s first goal was its 75th of the season, a new club record in a 38-game Premier League campaign, and it is now two points above seventh-placed Manchester United having played a game more.
Burnley had several excellent chances in the game, but unlike Newcastle, it was wasteful in front of goal, and its defensive frailties was cruelly exposed.
Newcastle took the lead on 19 minutes when Isak’s shot from six yards was parried by home goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, and Wilson had a tap-in for his ninth Premier League goal of the season.
The visitor doubled its advantage when Jacob Murphy provided a pull-back from the by-line and Longstaff swept the ball into the far corner of the net with a first time shot.
Two goals became three in 40 minutes as Burnley gave away possession cheaply in its half and the lively Anthony Gordon, in front of watching England manager Gareth Southgate, teed-up Guimaraes for another composed side-footed finish.
Newcastle was awarded a penalty five minutes into the second period when Gordon was hauled down in the box by Josh Brownhill.
Isak saw his effort saved by Muric low to his left and Newcastle, having scored its last 18 Premier League penalties in a row, failed from 12-yards for the first time since 2021.
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But three minutes later Isak did find the back of the net with the Burnley defence in disarray, rifling the ball into the top corner.
The home side got a late goal when O’Shea headed a corner back across goal and the ball looped into the far corner, but the result leaves it close to a swift return to the second-tier Championship.
Nottingham Forest moves three points clear of relegation zone with 3-1 win at Sheffield United
A brace by Callum Hudson-Odoi helped Nottingham Forest move three points clear of the Premier League’s bottom three as it came back from a goal down to secure a 3-1 win at Sheffield United on Saturday.
Forest, with 29 points from 36 matches, gained a crucial lead over 18th-placed Luton Town with two games to go. Sheffield, already relegated, remained bottom with 16 points.
Sheffield took the lead in the 16th minute after Gonzalo Montiel’s sliding tackle missed the ball completely and brought down Ben Brereton Diaz inside the box. Brereton Diaz put away the resulting penalty sending keeper Matz Sels the wrong way.
But the visitor equalised just 11 minutes later when Danilo found Callum Hudson-Odoi who came into the box from the left and curled in a right footed shot near the far post.
Forest almost took the lead late in the half when Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross from the right was headed by Wood from close range but it hit the crossbar.
It finally led six minutes into the second half with Willy Boly heading down Anthony Elanga’s pass for an unmarked Ryan Yates to fire into the net with his right foot, scoring his first ever Premier League goal.
Hudson-Odoi hit the post near the hour mark but completed his brace just two minutes later, evading Anel Ahmedhodzic to make space near the edge of the box to find the target in the near bottom corner.
The goal marked an unsavoury milestone for Sheffield as it became the first club to concede 100 goals in a 38-match Premier League season.
Ahmedhodzic was sent off in stoppage time after bringing down Nicolas Dominguez while going for a header, shortly before the match ended.
Sheffield visit Everton next Saturday, while Forest will host Chelsea.
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